Chapter 27: Good Tea
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“Many people on this mountain, including my useless ninth brother, have seen Miss and Ban Jian behaving intimately…” Yuwen Chu paused, then kindly continued, “If Ban Jian were an upstanding citizen, that would be fine. Unfortunately, he happens to be a servant under Miss’s command. Despite the Empress Dowager’s and the Fu family’s fondness for Miss, for the sake of family reputation and your future, Ban Jian cannot be allowed to live. Those serving by Miss’s side will also have a bad end. Moreover, you probably won’t be able to come out and play freely like this in the future. You must understand, the scandal of a noble lady and a household slave privately exchanging items would be a disgrace! Do you want to tarnish your family’s reputation, leaving them the subject of ridicule?”
Mingzhu couldn’t bear it anymore. Through gritted teeth, she said, “You’re despicable! When did I have an affair with him?”
“Don’t be hasty, I’m just speculating,” Yuwen Chu remained expressionless, as if the insults weren’t directed at him. He continued to smile lightly, “It’s just a possibility. There’s another possibility too. Someone who wishes for the best outcome for the lovers believes that the misunderstanding between you and Linan Wang should not lead to your separation. Therefore, they decided to give the other shoe to the Linan Wang…” He glanced meaningfully at Mingzhu, then said softly, “The Linan Wang is stubborn and proud. He only rejects others and others can’t reject him. Faced with life and death, how do you think he will react?”
How? Yuwen You will definitely treat this shoe as a lifesaving straw, showing it to everyone, to prove that she and he just had a little misunderstanding and fell out. If you don’t believe it, just look, she gave him her personal belongings. The person hiding in the dark, waiting for the opportunity to take a bite out of the Fu family, why not come out now and deal with this trivial matter? At that time, even Aunt and Father may not be able to suppress it, and they will have to continue this marriage, right?
Yuwen Chu leaned forward, his eyes piercing as he whispered, “Sometimes, the truth doesn’t matter. What matters are the means. Whoever is the most ruthless and cunning wins their desired truth. Which truth do you hope for?”
Mingzhu’s temples throbbed uncontrollably. After taking several deep breaths to calm the turmoil in her chest, she sweetly smiled and said, “Your Highness seems serious. Turns out you can also joke. You saw the situation yesterday. My temperament is indeed unsuitable. I’m not a good match and don’t deserve Linan Wang. If we were to force the marriage, it would only lead to a resentful couple, and perhaps even murder. Linan Wang is your own brother. Can you bear to see him jump into a fire pit?”
In fact, Imperial Consort Zhou had nearly poisoned him to clear a path for Yuwen You. But Yuwen You himself was rushing toward death. Who could stop him? Yuwen Chu chuckled softly, lowered his eyes, pushed the cup of tea he had poured for Mingzhu earlier toward her, and said amiably, “The tea is cold.”
Even if the cup in front of her held poison, she would have to drink it. Mingzhu glared at Yuwen Chu fiercely through the veil of green gauze, but she elegantly took a sip of the tea, pretending to compliment, “It’s truly good tea.”
Yuwen Chu laughed even more heartily. “People say Miss Fu is intelligent, and it’s indeed true.”
Mingzhu understood his meaning. He was mocking her previous fierceness and now, seeing that she couldn’t overpower him, immediately resorting to flattery. Although she still restrained herself from bursting out in anger, she couldn’t bring herself to flatter him anymore no matter what, so she had to drink her tea fiercely, almost wishing she could bite the teacup into pieces with a single gulp.
Yuwen Chu, however, remained unhurried. After seeing her finish one cup, he politely offered to refill it: “Since you enjoy it, have a bit more.”
Mingzhu hadn’t come here to drink tea; she couldn’t keep pretending to chat with him indefinitely. So, she had to swallow her pride and say, “If you’re holding a grudge against me for my previous disrespectful remarks and want me to throw another shoe at you, then I apologize to you.” With that, she straightened her clothes and bowed formally.
Yuwen Chu leaned against the low table, his gaze dark as he watched her bow and rise again. The green gauze hanging from her hat floated gently with her movements, revealing a glimpse of her profile. He knew her face was quite swollen, yet he didn’t find her any less beautiful; instead, he found her oddly alluring, making him want to touch her. Unconsciously, he stroked his fingertips together, his voice low and husky: “You misunderstood. I don’t want you to apologize. Even if there was an offense, your fourth brother came by today and apologized on your behalf.”
Why didn’t he say so earlier?! He had to wait until after she bowed? ??? Mingzhu gritted her teeth and forced a smile, “So, what do you actually want?”
Yuwen Chu lowered his eyes, a faint shadow cast by his lashes falling beneath them. He didn’t respond immediately but absentmindedly twirled the teacup in front of him. After a while, he raised the corner of his lips in a faint smile. “As I said when you first arrived, I want to make a deal and receive your thanks.”
Want her thanks? Mingzhu hadn’t forgotten his terrible attitude when they first met. He treated her like an enemy. And now, just her thanks? Mingzhu couldn’t follow this strange line of thought and found herself speechless for a moment.
Yuwenci reminded her, “Wasn’t it me who mediated between you and Linan Wang yesterday and helped you alleviate the pain in your jaw? Today, when you were ill, wasn’t it me who sent someone to bring medicine for you? Tang Chunlai may not be talented, but as long as he says your internal organs are injured, many doctors in the capital dare not say you are not injured. I have helped you so much, isn’t it worth a thank you from you?”
Too much flattery usually hides an ulterior motive. Mingzhu watched Yuwen Chu warily, trying to glean some clues from his face.
Yuwen Chu allowed her to scrutinize him openly. Although his figure was slightly slender, it didn’t give the impression of weakness. His expression seemed gentle, but as he sat there leisurely, he exuded an imposing aura as if he held the power of thousands of troops.
Mingzhu couldn’t discern anything and found his chosen position quite clever. The interplay of light and shadow amidst the mixed lighting of lamps and moonlight made him look rather handsome, like a human version of a well-bred dog. Unable to figure out his intentions, she smiled and gave him another nod of thanks. “Indeed, Your Highness, thank you for your generous assistance. If this matter is resolved, you will be my benefactor.”
A strange expression appeared on Yuwen Chu’s face, almost as if he had a toothache.
Mingzhu clearly understood, inwardly remarking, “You just want to show off your benevolence in front of me. Why are you feeling uncomfortable now? Isn’t this attitude humble enough?”
Yuwen Chu quickly turned his head away and said calmly, “Let’s talk business now.”
Mingzhu gestured for him to proceed.
“I have three questions for you. If you answer them well, not only will I return your shoes immediately, but I’ll also help persuade Linan Wang to give up this marriage proposal. First, do you really have no romantic involvement with Ban Jian?” Yuwen Chu noticed Mingzhu suddenly sitting up straight, as if she was about to explode. He made a calming gesture and smiled, “Alright, I believe you. But why do you insist on having Ban Jian as your servant?”
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